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Cucumber Dill Canapé Recipe

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This Cucumber Dill Canapé recipe is one of my favorite cucumber hors d’ouevres of all time! It’s an incredibly flavorful, delicious bite. And cucumber canapés are oh-so-pretty!Row of Cucumber Dill Canapes on a white, narrow plate.I made these adorable, delicious cucumber canapés for the very first party I ever catered, way back in 1996. (Oh my!) And they were on almost every menu of every party I catered thereafter.

A few slices of cucumber with the centers cut out with a round cutter.

What is a Canapé?

  • A canapé is described as a small piece of bread or pastry with a savory topping.
  • There are usually three components: the base (bread), and spread (for flavor and to protect the base), and a main ingredient on top.
  • They are typically bite-sized, and are commonly served with drinks at a cocktail party or formal party.

Several cucumber slices with the centers cut out.This Cucumber Dill Canapé recipe is always crowd pleaser! They’re light, refreshing, pretty, and packed with flavor — and all in one bite!

Everyone loves them! Really, everyone!

Back in my catering days, before my husband and kids, making hundreds of these at once was no big deal.

Top view of a round cutter around a cucumber slice, to cut off the skin.I barely keep my head above water some days now, with the kids’ busy schedule, so making a few dozen is often a big deal.

You can easily break down the steps for these cucumber hors d’oeuvres — so party day is relaxing!

This way it’s fun and easy — and so worth the effort!

cucumber slice with the center and skin removed

How to make Cucumber-Dill Canapés in stages, ahead of time . . .

  • Make the dill spread up to 3 days ahead.
  • Prepare the cucumber slices the night before.
  • Assemble the canapés up to about 8 hours ahead. (Just keep all the components chilled until you’re ready to make them.)

Just look at ’em!

You want these at your next party! Whether you’re throwing a big cocktail party, or a small dinner party for four, Cucumber Dill Canapés are the perfect way to start the meal.

Cucumber Dill Canapes lined up in rows with dill sprigs in each one.Making the Cucumber Dill Canapé recipe is actually a bit of a meditation for me. It becomes relaxing to assemble them, and they’ll make you so happy.

metal pastry cutters in their tinThese round cutters are a must for this recipe, and they are one of those kitchen items I couldn’t live without!

You can get them here.

ingredients for Cucumber Dill Canapes in food processorYou might be thinking you live just fine without round cutters. 😉 And I’m sure you do!

However, if you want to make these fabulous cucumber hors d’oeuvres that everyone will fall in love with, then . . . you won’t be able to live without them either.

Instructional photo grid of the steps to make Cucumber Dill Canapes.

Serving Cucumber Dill Canapés

I love making these when I’m bringing something to a cocktail party, and they’re ideal for almost every holiday party.

Or . . . . here’s another idea — you can simply slice cucumbers and put them into a sandwich with this spread recipe.  More deliciousness!

Oh, and if you’re having a cocktail party with a bunch of small bites, cucumber hors d’oeuvres always pair really well with my Wasabi Glazed Seared Ahi Tuna Bites and Ginger Garlic Dumplings.

Enjoy each and every Cucumber Dill Canapé!  The process of making them and eating them.

5 from 4 votes
Row of Cucumber Dill Canapes on a white, narrow plate.
Print
Cucumber-Dill Canapé Recipe
Prep Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr
 

This Cucumber Dill Canapé is one of my favorite cucumber hors d'ouevres of all time! It's an incredibly flavorful, delicious bite.

Course: Appetizers and Hors d'Oeuvres
Cuisine: American
Keyword: appetizers for parties, party food
Servings: 18
Calories: 79 kcal
Author: Valentina K. Wein
Ingredients
  • 2 English cucumbers (a bit larger than 1-3/4-inch diameter)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 bunch fresh dill (about 1 ounce)
  • salt and cayenne pepper to taste
  • 9 slices whole grain or white sandwich bread
Instructions
  1. To prepare the cucumbers, slice each one into approximately 18 slices -- about 1/4 to 1/2-inches wide -- and place them flat on a cutting surface. Using a 1-3/4-inch round cutter, cut the skin off each cucumber slice.
  2. Then, using a 1-inch round cutter, cut a hole in the middle of each slice to remove the seeds and create a space for the dill mixture later.
  3. Wrap the prepared cucumbers in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until you are ready to assemble the canapés. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Remove 4 sprigs of dill and set them aside in the refrigerator for the garnish.
  4. To make the dill spread, use a food processor to blend the cheese with the butter, mustard, lemon juice, and the remaining dill. Blend until the dill is very finely chopped and the mixture is very smooth. Season generously to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Blend the mixture one last time to be sure all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Assembly
  1. Use a small, off-set spatula to spread a thin, even layer of the dill spread onto one surface of each slice of bread. Place the remaining dill spread in a zip-lock bag and cut a tiny bit off of one of its bottom corners. Set aside, keeping the bag at room temperature.

  2. Using the same 1-3/4-inch round cutter that you used for the cucumbers, cut about 4 rounds out of each slice of dill-spread-covered bread, placing them on the parchment-covered baking sheet. You might need to gently press the center of each round with your finger to release it from the cutter.

  3. Place one cucumber slice on each round of bread. Then use the zip-lock bag with the remaining dill spread to fill each hole in the cucumber slices. To smooth the top, use a bit of water on your fingertip. For the garnish, use the dill you set aside -- break off tiny sprigs and add them to the center of each canapé. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

If you don't have a food processor, simply blend all of the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with a spoon and finely chop the dill before you add it.

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Comments

  3. Quyen - Kitchen Runway says

    Valentina – not only are these beautiful – they taste amazing. Light, fresh and satifying. No wonder they were so popular during your catering days! Love them – I even snag a couple for my husband to try. Delish!

    Reply

  8. David says

    These look wonderful! Believe me when I say I am making them for 2 dinner parties this week! Both are small, so I bet one batch will be plenty for both, and they are especially appealing because they can be made in advance! xo, d

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Thanks, David. I hope you love them and that the guests do too. I’ve never not had them be a hit! 🙂

      Reply

  12. Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says

    I love the flavour of dill, and imagine these tasty little bites are quite refreshing to the palate.

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Hi Amelie, To keep the look the same, I would use something like Daiya cream cheese which non dairy. I haven’t used it, but I think it would work well. You can omit the butter in the recipe and compensate with more of the cream cheese (the non dairy cream cheese, that is). If you didn’t mind a totally different look, you could make a pesto of sorts with the dill. Let me know if you want more info on that. I hope it works out well. Thanks for checking out the recipe and happy holiday season! 🙂

      Reply

  14. Ron says

    Valentina, I love your well-used set of pastry cutters and your right, everyone should own a set. If your cutters could only talk! And, your Cucumber-Dill Canapé will certainly be loved over this way as we’re huge lovers of cucumbers. Thanks for sharing and have a Happy New Year.

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Thanks so much, Ron. I SO wish my cutters could talk. They’ve been through so many parties! I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year! 🙂

      Reply

    • valentina says

      Thanks so much Mimi! I LOVE the idea of a salad from the middles. We usually just snack on them, but a salad would be so pretty! Happy New Year! 🙂

      Reply

    • valentina says

      Wishing you and Mark a very Happy 2019! Here’s to many more delicious recipes and great stories. 🙂 Thanks for all of your support always. ~Valentina

      Reply

  18. Sue says

    The pictures are beautiful. In Quebec our English cucumbers are very thin. Can I substitute with a regular cucumber?

    Thank you !

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Hi Sue, yes you absolutely can. They tend to have more seeds, but they’ll still be wonderful. Enjoy and thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂

      Reply

  21. Donna Orourke says

    If you refrigerate the spread before putting it on the bread, won’t it be too hard? Do you let it get to room temperature first?
    Thanks
    Donna O’Rourke

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Hi Donna. Yes! Let it sit to room temperature before spreading. And thank you for bringing this up — I’ll edit that into the recipe. Hope you love it! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply

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